What Opera Are You Listening to Now?

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Last CD of the Janet Baker set, which is bookended by the 1961 and 1977 recordings of Dido and Aeneas



I prefer (mildly) this recording.  Baker's performance of "When I am Laid in Earth" is one of the best I've heard.

From

The first time that I heard her sing this, I remember tears streaming down my face.

PD

[Pohjolas Daughter]

The sound of Callas's second studio Lucia, recorded at Kingsway Hall rather than at La Scala, has always been one of her best sounding recordings, so I doubted that it could be improved upon. All I can say that is that I find Pristine's transfer better than either EMI or Warner, much warmer and much closer to the German EMI Electrola LPs I used to own.

Interestingly it's now been reviewed by three different people on Musicweb International, and we all think it the better of her two studio Lucias. It's certainly a lot more refined and though notes in the stratosphere don't always fall easily on the ear, the filigree of the role is beautifully executed.

Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor (Pristine Audio) - MusicWeb International

How does Pristine Audio do its transfers?  From what sources?  Trying to recall here.

PD

[ritter]

Another wonderful Rossini score, La gazza ladra, in Alberto Zedda's first recording (from 1979).



Act I today. This melodramma semiserio is, beyond its famous overture, full of wonderful ensemble pieces. Somehow, I find this among Rossini's more "elegant" pieces, and he's more restrained than elsewhere.

The performance, which I had been looking for for years, is fine, but seems to favour the buffo over the serious elements. The cast is fluent and proficient. The Ninetta, Rosetta Pizzo (whom I had not encountered before), is one of those cases of a great artist with a not-so-great voice (she's a bit soubrettish in tone). Pietro Bottazzo makes a very good impression as Gianotto, as does Helga Müller-Molinari as Pippo.

In any case, this does in no wat displace the later recording of the opera on Sony under Gianluigi Gelmetti, with a dream cast of Ricciarelli, Matteuzzi, Manca di Nissa and Ramey.

[nico1616]

This one has been waiting in my collection for years. When I listen to Don Carlo, it is always to the Italian version, and I like the Solti, Guilini and Levine, they all have their strenghts and weaknesses.

It takes a bit getting used to the French version and it changes the character of the opera a bit, I find it at times more elegant than the Italian. Orchestral sound is exquisite and the cast is dominated by Domingo, really one of the best Verdi tenors ever. He is even better than on the EMI Guilini, what an artist! The leading ladies are not top when you are used to the likes of Tebaldi and Verrett. As usual Posa is the weak link, I have never understood why Nucci had such a big career, he voice sounds nasal ... as usual but still, he is better than the horrible Fischer-Dieskau in the Decca recording. Still, Domingo brings out the best in his partners in the many duets and ensembles we find in this great opera.

[Tsaraslondon]

How does Pristine Audio do its transfers?  From what sources?  Trying to recall here.

PD

I'm not absolutely sure. I assume that in most cases they won't have access to the master tapes and certainly not in this case, as they will be in the hands of Warner. I expect they used clean LPs.

[Tsaraslondon]

This one has been waiting in my collection for years. When I listen to Don Carlo, it is always to the Italian version, and I like the Solti, Guilini and Levine, they all have their strenghts and weaknesses.

It takes a bit getting used to the French version and it changes the character of the opera a bit, I find it at times more elegant than the Italian. Orchestral sound is exquisite and the cast is dominated by Domingo, really one of the best Verdi tenors ever. He is even better than on the EMI Guilini, what an artist! The leading ladies are not top when you are used to the likes of Tebaldi and Verrett. As usual Posa is the weak link, I have never understood why Nucci had such a big career, he voice sounds nasal ... as usual but still, he is better than the horrible Fischer-Dieskau in the Decca recording. Still, Domingo brings out the best in his partners in the many duets and ensembles we find in this great opera.

This is one of the three recordings of the opera that I own. The others are Giulini and Karajan.I have it mostly for the fact that it is in French and for all the extra music included in the appendix. I did a comparative review of the three recordings on my blog a few years ago, if you're interested, but basically I agree with your assessment.

Verdi's Don Carlo - a comparison of three different recordings

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I'm not absolutely sure. I assume that in most cases they won't have access to the master tapes and certainly not in this case, as they will be in the hands of Warner. I expect they used clean LPs.

Thanks for your thoughts.


PD

[nico1616]

This is one of the three recordings of the opera that I own. The others are Giulini and Karajan.I have it mostly for the fact that it is in French and for all the extra music included in the appendix. I did a comparative review of the three recordings on my blog a few years ago, if you're interested, but basically I agree with your assessment.

Verdi's Don Carlo - a comparison of three different recordings

Great link and site, thanks 

[nico1616]

First listen to this obscure Massenet opera. Glad to see the French are still investing in cds, luxury book included.

[Roasted Swan]

I have Ms. Fleming singing that role in a MET DVD.

Quite good.
The main competition to Ms. Fleming is a live performance with Callas; IIRC a major chunk was missing from the source tapes so it's incomplete. I'm sure Tsaraslondon knows the details.

There is also a recording conducted by Claudio Scimone that's been issued a few times but seems OOP right now.

In the light of this discussion I found a cheap copy of the Scimone recording;



Great music, nicely played but I did think a couple of the principals were challenged by the coloratura writing - pretty "smeary" runs and vocal tightness - but the music IS good!

[Tsaraslondon]

This rather mediocre performance hardly begins to rival the old Philips set with Montserrat Caballé in the main role.

Rossini: Elisabetta, Regina d'Inghilterra (Naxos) - MusicWeb International

[ritter]

Ernst Krenek's Das geheime Königreich ("The Secret Kingdom"), the third of his 1928 trittico.



This short (45') works is a fairy tale-ish political parable, written in a late-romantic expressionistic style, with some sarcastic touches (the queen is a high coloratura soprano). Very much of its time and place, I'd say, and quite interesting.

[VonStupp]

Jules Massenet
La Navarraise

Marilyn Horne, Anita
Plácido Domingo, Araquil
Sherrill Milnes, Garrido
Nicola Zaccaria, Remigio
Gabriel Bacquier, Bustamente
Ryland Davies, Ramon

Ambrosian Opera Chorus
London SO - Henry Lewis

I would imagine Lucia Popp and the more Gallic-friendly cast, plus at 10 minutes shorter, is preferable to this RCA recording? It is not a long show, so perhaps I will give the Almeida a listen as well.

Either way, I still enjoyed my time with this recording. The international singing cast was fun to hear, even if it was very apparent what sung French should really sound like whenever Bacquier took over. Henry Lewis, a conductor I don't think I know, leads a lovely orchestral Nocturne.
VS

[ritter]

...
Henry Lewis, a conductor I don't think I know, leads a lovely orchestral Nocturne.
...

Henry Lewis was " Mr. Marilyn Horne" from 1960 to 1972... I have his recording of Meyerbeer's Le Prophète, in which his wife sings the role of Fidès.

[VonStupp]

Henry Lewis was " Mr. Marilyn Horne" from 1960 to 1972... I have his recording of Meyerbeer's Le Prophète, in which his wife sings the role of Fidès.

I see! I knew Nicola Zaccaria was wedded to her, who is also in this program from 1975. Perhaps there was a switcheroo here...
VS

[Kozi_9]

Hello.  I'm new to this community.  I have prepared artificial intelligence supported videos for several Operas.  I want to know your thoughts about these.  I have a YouTube channel, but I do not want to disturb you by advertising here.  Where and how can I do this? 

[DavidW]

Hello.  I'm new to this community.  I have prepared artificial intelligence supported videos for several Operas.  I want to know your thoughts about these.  I have a YouTube channel, but I do not want to disturb you by advertising here.  Where and how can I do this? 

You may post on the polling station room.  Please confine it to just one thread and not many.

[DavidW]

Oh and welcome!

[Roasted Swan]

I went to see the ROHCG live relay of Madama Butterfly last night with Asmik Grigorian in the title role.  Never encountered her name before let alone her singing.  Very impressive in every respect - wonderfully wide dynamic range with voice in full control throughout.  But also here acting - both physical and vocal was genuinely compelling.  A great quality of stillness.  Joshua Guerrero as Pinkerton good but not at Grigorian's level and Lauri Vasar as Sharpless vocally watery and lacking acting presence.  Hongni Wu as Suzuki the other vocal stand-out performance.  Kevin John Edusei's conducting certainly controlled but perhaps a little too measured at points but lacking a Karajan's "long view" slow burn intensity.....

[Wendell_E]

I see! I knew Nicola Zaccaria was wedded to [Marilyn Horne], who is also in this program from 1975. Perhaps there was a switcheroo here...
VS

They didn't marry, though they did have a long-term relationship after she and Lewis divorced.